Netflix sensation “Stranger Things” has always thrived on the strength of its ensemble, a testament to the actors, the characters created by the Duffer Brothers and the too-often unsung hero, casting director Carmen Cuba.
The homerun ensemble includes a huge roster of core “Stranger Things” characters, but there are also new faces that join the fray each season. There are single-season characters that inevitably die but never fail to break our hearts. Then there’s the excellent additions of ’80s and ’90s icons, ranging from the series’ OG, Winona Ryder, to this season’s addition, the great Linda Hamilton.
There are a lot of names and faces to keep track of, so if you’re looking for a guide to the “Stranger Things” Season 5 characters and cast, we’ve got you covered.
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
A dedicated, if a bit unconventional, mother to Will and Jonathan Byers, Joyce never gave up on her son when Will went missing in the Upside Down in Season 1 and has since become majorly mixed up in the mysteries of Hawkins. She’s a lifelong friend of local sheriff Jim Hopper, and as of Season 4, officially more than friends after she took off to Russia with Murray Bauman to bust Jim out of prison and bring him back home.
Ryder is a two-time Oscar nominee who broke out with her iconic alt-girl performances in the ’80s and ’90s, including in “Beetlejuice,” “Heathers” and “Edward Scissorhands.” Her credits also include “Girl, Interrupted,” “Alien Resurrection,” “Black Swan,” “Little Women,” “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” and more recently, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
David Harbour as Jim Hopper
The hard-edged Hawkins sheriff, who’s a big softie under the gruff exterior, Jim Hopper is a veteran and grieving father whose protective instincts led him to get deeply entangled in the fight against the forces of the Upside Down. From his growing bond with Joyce to his father-daughter dynamic with Eleven, Hopper has been willing to put it all on the line for his loved ones over and over again — including his fake-out death at the end of Season 3. But after spending Season 4, he’s back in Hawkins with the rest of the gang and back in protective dad mode.
Already a Tony-nominated actor by the time “Stranger Things” premiered, Harbour had notable roles in “The Newsroom,” “Manhattan” and “State of Affairs,” but his screen career truly took off after starring in Netflix’s megahit show. Since “Stranger Things” premiered, Harbour played the title character in the 2019 “Hellboy” reboot, joined the MCU as Red Guardian in “Black Widow” and “Thunderbolts*” (and in “Avengers: Doomsday” next), played a vengeful Santa Claus in the action hit “Violent Night,” and appeared in films including “Gran Turismo,” “We Have a Ghost” and “No Sudden Move.”
Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven / Jane Hopper
The superhero of the group, Eleven, aka Jane Hopper, was born with extraordinary abilities after her mother participated in experiments designed to unlock the potential of the human mind. After that, Eleven was abducted and made into an experiment of her own, where her trauma in the lab connected her to Henry (aka One, aka “Vecna”) and opened the portal to the Upside Down. After escaping the lab in Season 1, Eleven found her new family with her friends in Hawkins, especially her adoptive father, Hopper, and her now-boyfriend, Mike Wheeler.
Millie Bobby Brown was just 11 years old when she started filming on “Stranger Things” and became one of the series’ biggest breakout stars (not to mention go-to Halloween costumes). Since then, she’s starred in the MonsterVerse movies “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Godzilla vs. Kong,” as well as the Netflix films “Enola Holmes,” “Damsel” and “The Electric State.”
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Poor Will Byers, Joyce’s son and Jonathan’s brother, got pulled into the Upside Down in Season 1, and he’s had a traumatic relationship with the realm of the paranormal ever since, haunted by what happened to him there. Sometimes literally, including the horror of vomiting up slugs that became deadly Demodogs and fighting the Mind Flayer for control of his body in Season 2. And as the opening scene of Season 5 makes clear, it was all part of Vecna’s grand plan — and he’s got more in store for Will yet.
The youngest member of the core cast, Noah Schnapp, had already voiced Charlie Brown in “The Peanuts Movie” and appeared in Steven Spielberg’s “Bridge of Spies” by the time “Stranger Things” premiered. But of course, the show was his big break, and he’s since added “Abe,” “Waiting for Anya,” Hubie Halloween” and “The Tutor” to his credits.
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
The de facto leader of the core Dungeons & Dragons-loving friend group at the heart of “Stranger Things,” aka the Party, Mike Wheeler had an immediate connection with the runaway Eleven that has grown into a deep friendship and full-fledged teen romance by Season 3. Best friends with Will, Lucas and Dustin, Mike comes from a loving home he shares with his sisters, Nancy and Holly, and his parents, Karen and Ted.
Like a lot of the young cast, Finn Wolfhard made his big break on “Stranger Things,” but he had the one-two punch of making a scene-stealing film debut in “IT” the following year. Since then, he’s starred in the sequel, “IT: Chapter Two,” voiced Pugsley Addams in the 2019 animated “The Addams Family” adaptation, and carries on the Spengler legacy in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” Most recently, he starred in the A24 fantasy “The Legend of Ochi.”
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Another core member of the Party, Lucas Sinclair came into his own when they hit high school, excelling at sports and falling in with a new friend group of vengeful jocks that turned out to be dangerous and destructive in Season 4. But that didn’t change Lucas’ core qualities as a loyal, brave kid and he came through for his friends without hesitating when it counted. Lucas is also a close friend and ex-boyfriend of Max Mayfield, reeling from her tragic fate at the hands of Vecna at the end of Season 4, which has left her in a coma. His younger sister, Erica, has also emerged as a key player in the fight against the forces of the Upside Down since Season 3.
After starring as Young Simba on Broadway, McLaughlin appeared in episodes of “Law & Order: SVU,” “Blue Bloods” and “Unforgettable,” but like all the young cast members, he really broke out in “Stranger Things.” Since the series premiered, he’s also starred in “High Flying Bird,” “The Book of Clarence” and “The Deliverance.”
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
A science-minded, generally bright and sunny kid, Dustin is a pretty prototypical nerd who is also a member of the core friend group since day one. His huge heart led him to befriend Steve Harrington and Eddie Munson … not to mention Dart the Demodog in Season 2 … and landed him a girlfriend (the brilliant young Suzie Bingham) at summer camp in Season 3. However, in Season 5, Dustin’s in a darker place, devastated by Eddie’s death and haunted by the tarnished legacy his friend unfairly carries.
Like McLaughlin, Matarazzo got his start on Broadway, including the role of Gavroche in “Les Misérables.” On screen, Matarazzo has also appeared on “The Blacklist,” “Ridiculousness,” “Waffles and Mochi,” “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” and “Honor Society,” as well as voicing characters in “The Angry Birds Movie,” “Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy” and “Animal Farm.” He also hosted the Netflix series “Prank Encounters.”
Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Moving on to the older teens, Nancy Wheeler is Mike and Holly’s older sister, Karen and Ted’s daughter, Jonathan Byers’ girlfriend and Steve Harrington’s ex — which is to say, she’s a major lynchpin of the whole series. Ambitious and accomplished, Nancy was devastated by her best friend’s disappearance while she was partying with Steve in Season 1, carrying that guilt for the rest of the series, but it also turned her into one of the fiercest fighters against the forces of the Upside Down.
Dyer is best known for her breakout role in “Stranger Things,” and has since starred in “Velvet Buzzsaw,” “Yes, God, Yes,” “Tuscaloosa,” “Things Seen & Heard,” “Chestnut” and the Peacock series “Based on a True Story.”
Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Will’s older brother, Joyce’s son and Nancy’s boyfriend, Jonathan Byers was a bit of an outcast in high school, which is what made his connection with popular girl Nancy such an electric surprise. Like Nancy, he also felt a lot of guilt after his brother disappeared in Season 1, his investigation leading him to the truth about the Upside Down. He worked with Nancy at the local newspaper in Season 3 and, after his family moved to California in Season 4, became a bit of a burnout with his BFF Argyle, only reuniting with Nancy in the final moments of the season.
Prior to “Stranger Things,” Charlie Heaton appeared in British series “DCI Banks,” “Vera” and “Casualty.” After his breakout role as Jonathan Byers, he has also starred in “Industry,” “The New Mutants,” “The Souvenir Part II” and “Marrowbone.”
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
The series scene-stealer Steve Harrington was famously supposed to die in Season 1, but he was just too charming not to keep around. That means the once-off-putting character — a high school cool guy who was supposed to be Nancy’s jerk ex-boyfriend — got redemption when he stepped in to save the day at the end of Season 1. He’s since become a mainstay (and unpaid babysitter) of the core group, besties with Dustin and Season 3 newcomer Robin Buckley, still a bit hung up on Nancy, and still a certified lady killer despite losing his way a bit after high school.
Keery (who also goes by Djo in his musical career) appeared in “Chicago Fire” and “Empire” before “Stranger Things” and has since starred in “Fargo” Season 5, “Spree,” “Free Guy,” “Molly’s Game” and “Pavements.”
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
The first of several major players who joined the cast after the first season, Max Mayfield moved to Hawkins in Season 2 and quickly became a core member of the Party and, despite her volatile brother Billy’s violent threats not to, became very close with Lucas. Since then, the duo made it official before Max broke up with him out of heartbreak after Billy’s violent death during the Battle of Starcourt in Season 3. Trapped in a state of grief and self-loathing after her brother’s death, she fell victim to Vecna’s curse in Season 4 — and even died temporarily, until Eleven brought her back to life.
Another young cast member who came from a theater background, Sink played the title character in “Annie” on stage before her “Stranger Things” debut, as well as “American Odyssey” and episodes of “The Americans” and “Blue Bloods.” Since breaking out with her Season 2 debut, she has starred in the “Fear Street” films, “The Whale,” “Dear Zoe,” “O’Dessa” and Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well: The Short Film.” Next up, she’s set to join the MCU in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
Robin Buckley got in on the action in Season 3, where she was introduced as Steve’s co-worker in the now-iconic sailor hats at Scoops Ahoy. After getting sucked into a mystery that got them tortured by the Russians, Robin fully joined the Hawkins crew after she witnessed the forces of the Upside Down at work during the Battle of Starcourt. In Season 4, she once again worked alongside Steve, now at a video rental store, and after her Season 3 coming out, sparked up a romance with her band crush, Vickie.
Hawke comes from a family of familiar faces — her mother is Uma Thurman, her father is Ethan Hawke and her grandmother is fashion model Nena von Schlebrügge. She got her start in modeling before making her screen debut in the BBC’s 2017 “Little Women adaptation, and has also starred in “Do Revenge,” “Inside Out 2,” “Asteroid City,” “Maestro,” “Fear Street Part One” and “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” Next up, she’ll play Wiress in “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.”
Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
Erica Sinclair made a few appearances as Lucas’ troublesome younger sister in Season 2, but she really came into her own as a character in Season 3, when she got tangled up in Steve, Dustin and Robin’s ill-advised investigations into Russian radio transmissions. Or as she called it, Operation Child Endangerment. Erica is whip-smart, enterprising and unflinching, if a bit in denial about her own nerddom.
Ferguson made her screen debut in 2016, appearing in “Atlanta” and “Coffee X Cream” before her breakout in “Stranger Things.” Since then, she’s added “The Oath,” “The Curse of Bridge Hollow,” “Daytime Divas,” “Bluff City Law,” “Hamster & Gretel” and “My Dad the Bounty Hunter” to her credits.
Nell Fisher as Holly Wheeler
The latest newcomer to the central storyline, Mike and Nancy’s younger sister, Holly Wheeler, has been in the show since the first season, but as a mostly non-verbal side character, usually seen hanging out with her mother, Karen, at home. In Season 5, Holly steps into the action and becomes a “centerpiece” as the Duffers have described her, saying they wanted to get back to some of that childhood feeling from Season 1.
The character was previously played by twin sisters Anniston and Tinsley Price, but actress Nell Fisher steps into the expanded role for Season 5. Fisher is best known for playing Kassie in “Evil Dead Rise,” with additional credits including “Bookworm,” “My Life Is Murder” and “Choose Love.”
Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
Murray Bauman went from a local crackpot conspiracy theorist to a mainstay of the core group who played an essential role in hooking up Nancy and Jonathan in Season 2 and an even more essential role in saving Hopper from the Russians in Season 4.
Outside of “Stranger Things,” Gelman is best known for his performance in “Fleabag,” with credits including “Lemon,” “Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,” “The Other Guys,” “Boy Kills World,” “The Lady in the Lake,” “A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas” and “Another Period.”
Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel / One / Vecna
The properted series big bad didn’t reveal himself until Season 4, when he emerged from the shadows in horrific fashion, haunting and killing local teens with his “curse.” Vecna, aka Henry Creel, aka 001 is another super-powered youth, the one who inspired Brenner to run his experiments at the Hawkins Lab. He murdered his family as a child and his father, Victor Creel, took the fall. He also played a formative role in the development of Eleven’s powers and her escape from the lab — trapped there by a chip in his body, Henry acted as a caretaker to the kids in the experiment and guided Eleven toward her full potential, ultimately tricking her into removing the chip and massacring the other kids at the lab. After Eleven discovered what he did, she used her powers to send him into another dimension, where he was transformed into Vecna.
Bower made his screen debut as Anthony in Tim Burton’s “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” in 2007 and landed a series of memorable roles thereafter, including Caius Volturi in the “Twilight Saga,” young Gellert Grindelwald in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1” (and later in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”), King Arthur in “Camelot” and Jace Wayland in “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.” He’s also starred in “RocknRolla,” “London Boulevard,” “Horizon: An American Saga” and “Will.”
Linda Hamilton as Dr. Kay
A new character in Season 5, not much is known about Dr. Kay other than she’s a fearsome government scientist working with the military to hunt down Eleven.
Hamilton is the iconic, Emmy-nominated actress best known for playing Sarah Connor in the “Terminator” films and Catherine Chandler in the 1987 “Beauty and the Beast” series. Her credits also include “Children of the Corn,” “Dante’s Peak,” “Resident Alien,” “Chuck,” “King Kong Lives,” “A Mother’s Prayer” and “Defiance.”
Cara Buono as Karen Wheeler
Karen is mom to Nancy, Mike and Holly Wheeler, all central to the mysteries of the Upside Down. However, Karen and her husband Ted have remained blissfully unaware of the interdimensional nightmares tormenting her children for most of the series. She’s come close, though — in fact, she was supposed to be on a date with Billy Hargrove (Dacre Montgomery) on the night he was possessed by the Mind Flayer in Season 3. Fortunately, she chose to stay home with her family that night instead.
Buono’s best-known credits outside of “Stranger Things” include “The Sopranos,” “Mad Men,” “Person of Interest,” “Queen of the Ring,” “Supergirl, “The Girl from Planeville” and “Third Watch.”
Joe Chrest as Ted Wheeler
Ted is Karen’s husband, father to Mike, Nancy and Holly Wheeler. He’s the platonic neutral of a 1980s suburban dad, who has mostly provided a bit of comedic relief throughout the series in his exasperation with his kids’ friends.
Chrest has over 130 credits to his name, including “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Lisa Frankenstein,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “True Detective,” “Looking for Alaska,” “The Purge” series, “Assassination Nation,” “Deepwater Horizon,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” and “Ant-Man.”
Amybeth McNulty as Vickie
First introduced as Robin’s crush in Season 4, Vickie has leveled up in Season 5 after the duo officially became a thing. McNulty is best known for playing Anne of Green Gables in Netflix’s “Anne With an E,” as well as for roles in “Morgan,” “Ballistic,” “She Came Back,” “All My Puny Sorrows” and “Black Medicine.”
Jake Connelly as Derek Turnbow
The latest newcomer to the cast, Derek Turnbow sparked a tsunami of “who is bro” comments when he made his debut in the Season 5 posters. Bro is a new character, Derek, who is in school with Holly and a bit of a bully. “Stranger Things” is Connelly’s first major role after appearing in the short film “Between the Silence.”
Sherman Augustus as Jack Sullivan
Lt. Colonel Jack Sullivan is a high-ranking military official who led the hunt against Eleven in Season 4, believing she was responsible for the Vecna’s Curse killings in Hawkins. He launched an attack on the Nina Project facility and refused to listen to Dr. Owen’s pleas to leave Eleven unharmed, leading to Dr. Brenner’s death and Eleven’s escape.
Sherman Augustus is best known for “The Young and the Restless,” “Into the Badlands,” “Virus,” “P-Valley,” “American Odyssey,” “Bad Guys” and “Death Leather Blues.”
